This invention relates generally to means for accessing audio and video information from multimedia sources. More specifically, the present invention relates to an interactive binder/platform wherein tactile input is translated into an electronic signal which is transmitted to a multimedia source which provides output in response to the tactile input.
The widespread availability and use of personal computers has revolutionized information management worldwide. With improvements in computer memory and speed, applications are being developed which enable tasks to be performed today which only a few short years ago could be accomplished only through the use of large, main-frame computers. Computers are routinely utilized for tasks such as word processing, accounting, inventory control and desktop publishing, as well as a myriad of other uses. Increasingly, CD-ROM drives are incorporated into personal computing work stations, primarily because CD-ROM disks are capable of storing a great deal of information which may be accessed quickly.
Many tasks and operations which were formerly accomplished utilizing books, manuals, writing paper and/or boards, are now routinely accomplished by means of the personal computer, wherein interactivity between the information of a software program and the user is accomplished by means of a display screen and one of several available input devices, including a keyboard and a mouse. While such interactivity is acceptable in many applications, there are others where a more conventional tactile-type input remote from the computer would be preferable.
For example, many people are far more comfortable with books than with a computer screen. Such people usually prefer to read information from a tangible page than from the screen of a computer. Often such is the case when one has the task of learning a great deal of information such as in school studies. Further, while many may find the visual display of a computer satisfactory, it is well known that some types of learning are far better if some type of direct tactile feedback is available. In this regard younger children, while they may benefit from the modern technology found in today's computers, often find it quite difficult to respond to inquiries posed by the computer through a keyboard or a mouse. There is, therefore, the need for some type of input device which provides an appropriate feedback channel that may be actuated through tactile-type input.
Another example is in the realm of games, whether such games are structured purely for pleasure or have an educational aspect. While many games can be played on a computer utilizing nothing more than the keyboard and a mouse, some computer game enthusiasts still prefer something akin to a normal game board wherein games pieces may be moved from one spot to another as play progresses. Even under such circumstances a computer could be utilized to increase the complexity of the game and automatically keep score and remind players of the proper play order and rules if a suitable tie-in where available between a game board and the computer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,176 discloses a station for providing interactivity with a multimedia source, such as a computer or CD-ROM player, which can be advantageously utilized to provide convenient tactile input to the multimedia source either as part of a game or in response to a printed or computer-generated inquiry. However, this system is limited in that there is only one-way communication from the station to the multimedia source and no feedback from the multimedia source back to the station.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for an interactive binder and platform system that serves as an exciting and informative book. There is an additional need for an interactive binder and platform system that includes “free-standing” volumes that can be filled with colorful graphics, valuable information and challenges. There is a further need for an interactive binder and platform system that is a separate repository for information. There is also a need for an interactive binder and platform system that can be used in school settings to teach and test students, incorporate games, and serve as an audio device as well as a visual device. There is a need for an interactive binder and platform system that provides two-way communication between the binder and a multimedia source. There is also a need for an interactive binder and platform system that can serve as a catalog that a user can fully browse by flipping the pages, and, when fascinated by a product, the user can touch a single dot in the binder to connect to the Internet and access audio and video supplements and subsequently make purchases. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.